


take you to the flower shop

by fkaps (orphan_account)



Series: lucases and eliotts no. 1 - infinity [2]
Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, M/M, i'm gonna need someone to stop me lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-05 08:35:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18825046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/fkaps
Summary: Lucas happens upon Eliott's flower shop when Yann asks him for a favour. How many times can he claim coincidence before looking like an idiot?Or: Lucas is the hopeless grad student with a crush on the local florist and Eliott is said local florist who is more than happy to indulge him.Russian translationhere





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [take you to the flower shop](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19004536) by [four_steps_to_death](https://archiveofourown.org/users/four_steps_to_death/pseuds/four_steps_to_death)



> one shot gone wild, yet again  
> comments and criticism as always appreciated!

**Yann**

The coffee shop is literally right next door to the florist  
We can head over to the party together after  
I'll let you ride shotgun, Chloe can sit in the back  
16:42

Shut up  
16:45

Thanks Lulu, I owe you one   
16:46

 

Lucas sighs as he tucks his phone into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, the jacket that is starting to stick to him uncomfortably in the midsummer heat. It doesn't help that he's crammed on what might as well be the most crowded bus running on the city's transit system, teeming with students and their bulging backpacks, women with their unruly children and the first batch of commuters heading home from work. He's managed to snag a corner on the vehicle with easy access to a pole that he hangs on to for dear life as the bus driver navigates expertly through the busy rush hour streets of downtown, without, it seems, any consideration of the passengers' wellbeing. Then again, maybe Lucas has just grown soft after leaving his old place, several kilometres away from the university, in favour of on campus accommodations provided by the school for grad students. 

Internally cursing his best friend, he prepares to descend from the bus as his stop approaches, conveniently located, thank goodness, only steps away from the flower shop Yann had provided him directions for. After begging Lucas to pick up the floral arrangements for his engagement party that evening while he dealt with some final last minute issues at the venue, he promised to pick him up from the cafe next door before they headed over to the celebration.

When Yann told him about proposing to Chloe, Lucas had to admit he was a little surprised. The two had dated on and off since high school, until they became 'on' about a year ago and never really stopped. It made sense when he thought about it. For Yann and Chloe, whether it was the wrong place or wrong time, they never really had a fighting chance until they both figured out their lives. Once they did, there were no more excuses as to why they couldn't give it a serious shot, and Yann, to Lucas's initial shock, had taken the opportunity when it came and never looked back.

It was bittersweet, knowing that he would lose a part of his friend that now belonged to Chloe and Chloe only. But, he saw the way his best friend looked at his fiancee when she walked into a room, how he instantly went from uncaring to alert in mere seconds. Seeing Yann happy was enough to make him happy too.

Still, Lucas was only human, and he couldn't help the prick of jealousy that would arise in the back of his mind each time Yann perked up at the simple mention of Chloe's name.

It wasn't about being jealous of Chloe specifically. Long gone were the days of pining after his best friend who he knew would never love him back. It had more to do with the loneliness that hit him smack in the face, no warning given, after finding out about Yann's engagement. With almost all of the friend group in serious relationships, his failed Tinder dates and guys he was set up with by Daphne that ended up fizzling out sooner or later bothered him more than they would have otherwise. Grad school took up a large chunk of his time, whether it was teaching classes to bored undergraduates or writing his thesis under the supervision of his irritating supervisor. It was easy for him to neglect parts of his life that came secondary to his career, which at this point was every facet that didn't revolve around the university in some capacity. Once the guys he dated realized this, it was generally pretty difficult to get a callback.

Lucas shook his head, dismissing thoughts regarding the likelihood of him ending up alone forever. Today was about Yann and supporting his best friend, even if all Lucas wanted in this moment, as he walked over to the florist shop located around the corner from the bus stop and not a few metres away like Google maps had falsely indicated, was kill him. 

Lucas opens the door and steps inside the shop, instantly hit with the scent of fresh cut flowers and a subtle breeze from the ceiling fans rotating steadily. The lack of A/C is noticeable, and prompts him to peel off his jacket and swing it over his shoulder. He neglects, however, to recall that his phone is still in there and groans with frustration as it hits the ground with a resounding crash under a table laden with fully bloomed tulips in a multitude of vibrant reds and yellows. Lucas bends down to retrieve the phone, stooping his head slightly below the table in order to get a better look.

"Can I help you?"

Lucas startles from his crouched position, bumping his head lightly against the counter.

"Ah, hi. Yeah, sorry," Lucas apologizes, rubbing the sore spot as he stood up, phone in tow, "I'm here for a picku-" 

He stops midway, jaw comically dropping how he imagines it does in one of those cartoon TV shows when he finally makes eye contact with the bearer of the voice.

His first thought is, what the fuck was a guy like this doing working at a flower shop when he clearly belonged on a billboard ad campaign? He looks a couple years older than Lucas, golden brown hair haphazardly strewn across his head and barely there stubble gracing the bottom portion of his face. Dressed in all black, save for his poor choice in footwear (solid white trainers in an environment surrounded by dirt? really?), the man is a stark contrast between the bright hues of greens and splashes of colour painting the room. He quirks an eyebrow at him expectantly, making Lucas realize he's been staring for longer than what one could deem polite, or normal for that matter.

"Uh-" Lucas stutters, "Hi."

"Hi." 

Silence.

"Right then," the guy trails off, scanning Lucas top to bottom, lingering on his face for a couple of seconds, before continuing, "Here for a pickup, I'm assuming?"

"Yes- yeah!" Lucas exclaims a little too loudly, shuffling around in his pocket for the receipt Yann had given him during their class in the morning, "It should be under the name Yann?" 

The florist takes the paper from his hands, and if Lucas was a little more full of it he could've sworn his fingers lingered for a second longer than necessary on Lucas's hand. What he doesn't fail to notice is how the light in the other man's eyes dims almost imperceptibly before they brighten up again, a soft smile emerging at the corners of his mouth.

"It's pretty much ready, the order," he clarifies, walking towards the counter, "I'm just making adjustments to the centerpiece if you don't mind waiting a couple minutes?"

"Not a problem." 

Lucas observes the man, Eliott, he finds out after catching a glimpse of the name tag on his apron, as he artfully arranges stems of baby's breath and wax flowers between bundles of spray roses in pale pink and white, all encased in the vases the couple had custom ordered and Chloe dropped off at the store earlier on. The vases themselves were beautiful, engraved with Yann and Chloe's initials on crevices made specifically for the letters to be placed. Trust Yann's lovesick ass to think of every cliche in the book. 

Lucas shifts his attention from the stupid vases back to Eliott, the way his ring clad fingers move deftly with practiced motions as he carefully trims and places flowers in an intricate pattern around the circumference of the vase, moving inwards to the center where he starts incorporating larger roses. The appearance is one Lucas likens to sunlight, concentrated at the center with rays fading out into its surroundings.

"So," Eliott breaks through Lucas's reverie, "Come here often?" he jokes, almost flirtatiously. Lucas chuckles at the remark, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Is it that obvious?" he throws back, reveling in the way Eliott laughs at his remark, "No, not really. I don't find myself in this part of town often, since I'm usually teaching or studying at the university."

"University, huh?"

"Haha yeah," Lucas confirms, "Sorry, as a grad student I'm mandated to bring up my shitty decision of pursuing higher education versus getting an actual job at least once in every conversation." he quips. Eliott, chuckles lightly at his remark, continuing to work.

"Nothing wrong with that, I think it's admirable to be honest," Eliott admits, "I majored in art as well, took up a part time job near school at a greenhouse to pay the bills."

"I'll let you in on a secret," he whispers almost conspiratorially, the hint of laughter still present in the lilt of his voice, "I planned on going to grad school too."

"No way!" Lucas says exaggeratedly, playing along.

"Don't look so surprised," Eliott grins, walking over to another counter to grab a handful of baby's breath to fill in some of the remaining gaps in the bouquet, "I applied and everything, but at some point I realized the greenhouse wasn't something I did just for the money, I actually enjoyed it as well."

"So I started my own shop a couple years ago, with some of my savings, and some assistance from the Bank of Dad," he adds on, "And I haven't looked back since."

"Do you tell all of your customers your origin story?" Lucas inquires teasingly. He's a little astonished at first when he realizes Eliott owns the store, especially based on his first impression of the man. But the more he takes in the store, the passion in which Eliott speaks of it and the way he immerses himself in his work, even as he engages in friendly conversation with Lucas, the less Lucas finds it hard to believe.

"Only the cute grad students in suits." Eliott winks, awkwardly diverting his attention back to the flowers almost immediately.

Lucas, still reeling from being called cute, doesn't realize the sudden change in mood, and attempts to flirt back.

"A lot of those come in here?" he asks, "Cute grad students in suits, I mean."

Eliott appears thoughtful for a moment, placing the remaining flowers in the arrangement, before he looks up at Lucas again. He's apprehensive at first, muscles tense, and Lucas wonders if he was too pushy or too forward and starts preparing to apologize when,

"Nope," Eliott declares decidedly, maintaining eye contact the whole time, "You're the first."

Lucas is pretty sure the blush tinting his cheeks is brighter than the scarlet flowers bordering the store front outside. 

With a quietly murmured 'finished', Eliott reaches underneath the counter, grabbing cellophane and a different pair of scissors than the ones he used earlier on to cut the flowers and tears pieces large enough to cover the three arrangements laid out on the counter, two smaller ones along with the centerpiece Eliott had been working on earlier. 

"Do you mind helping out with this part?" Eliott says, "I usually have a part timer working with me for larger orders, but they weren't available today."

"Yeah," Lucas replies, still a little stunned from the implication behind Eliott's previous words, "Of course. What do you need?"

"Just hold on to this while I wrap the ribbon around the base," he says pulling out a roll of twine and thin red fabric, unfurling one at a time to size around the vase, "This way they'll stay safe until you arrive at your venue."

"Engagement party right?" Eliott questions, promptly changing the subject, "I believe the bride was in here a while back to drop off the vases. Chloe, I think?"

"You got it."

"She's quite," Eliott says, searching for the right term, "Energetic." he settles on. Lucas laughs lightly, knowing exactly how Eliott felt. His first impression of the girl was pretty much the same.

"Yeah, she can be a bit overbearing," Lucas agrees, "But she means well. Very sweet once you get to know her."

"Hm," Eliott hums out, twine clenched between his teeth as he finishes off the last bundle, releasing the string as he uses it to tie the stems of the group together in one cohesive bunch, "I'll have to take your word for it."

Eliott works in silence for the remainder of time, looping the individual ribbons and securing them with slipknots tight enough to ensure the flowers remained protected but loose enough that they would come undone easily once the floral arrangements reached their final destination. With every movement, Lucas feels Eliott's fingertips ever so slightly graze the back of his hands. Whether it was deliberately or not, Lucas finds himself disappointed when they complete the task, Eliott proceeding to tidy up remnants of materials on the counter.

Right on time as well, as his phone chimes with a text from Yann telling Lucas that there's no time for coffee and he's sitting outside in the car waiting.

"Alright, that's pretty much it," Eliott says, "You're good to go. I'll help you carry out the third arrangement as well. Save you the extra trip."

"Thank you," Lucas says shyly, warming when his hands brush Eliott's as he passes him two of the the arrangements and grabs hold of the other, "My friend's waiting with his car outside, if you don't mind...?"

"No problem." Eliott says kindly, eyes crinkling into half moons. He steps out from behind the counter, holding the door open for Lucas as he exits the shop. Yann's car is sitting idle with the trunk open, while the owner sits in the driver's seat immersed in some conversation on his phone. He acknowledges the pair briefly with a wave before returning his attention to the call. 

"Alright," Eliott announces, placing the last arrangement inside the vehicle, "I guess this is where we say goodbye."  

_Here goes nothing._

"Would you call me cheesy if I said I didn't believe in goodbyes and said 'see you later' instead?" Lucas asks, voice tinged with hope that he wasn't the only one who felt a connection here. Eliott appraises him confusedly, as if Lucas suggesting he might want to see him later after all that blatant flirting was a surprise. 

"Goodbye." Eliott states firmly, shaking his head a bit before walking back to the shop, leaving a flustered Lucas in his wake.

"Oh," Eliott says, turning around from the store threshold to look at Lucas one last time, "Congrats by the way," adding on, almost as an afterthought, "-Yann. Chloe is a very lucky woman."

Lucas can only stare after Eliott blankly as  the latter closes the door and leaves him dumbstruck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbc...(?)  
> P.s. yes, and most likely from eliott's pov heheh


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a refresher Eliott thinks Lucas is Yann so henceforth he is referred to as Yann until... well you'll know it when you read it haha. sorry if it gets confusing believe me i was a mess when i tried editing

**Sofiane**

Hey man i need your help  
12:02

 

Imane's pissed  
  
What says 'I'm sorry' and 'I'm not worthy' without looking too desperate  
12:03

Already on it, come by after work  
12:10

 

You're the best and i love you  
12:11

 

Save the sweet talk for your girlfriend  
12:13

 

Eliott shoved the phone in his pocket, resuming his daily sweep of the shop floors. Stray dirt clumps and the occasional leaf cornered and disposed, he heads outside towards the back of the store, where uncut flowers and plants bloomed in the greenhouse. He carefully assesses the ones that looked ready to gather in a bouquet, handpicking an assortment of white and red tulips that would pair well with the daffodils inside, ones he had reserved for another arrangement and the large exhibit of spring offerings in the front window visible to the public.

 _White for forgiveness_ , he thinks to himself, _red for love_ , _daffodils for_ , well, daffodils because it was spring and they were pretty.

Sofiane's text came midway through the workday, just before he was about to break for lunch. May was always a busy month, with the later than usual spring finally settling in and business ramping up as it generally did during the warmer season. He'd let his part timer go early for the day, left alone in the store where peak business wouldn't arrive for another few hours. The morning was spent taking inventory, scanning the greenhouse outdoors and displays inside, noting flowers that were short in supply and would need to be replenished. Once completed, he began to work on the arrangements scheduled for pick up within the next few days, a centerpiece for a wedding, a bouquet for a lavish proposal, several smaller orders requested for Mother's Day well in advance of the occasion.

He loved interacting with his customers, helping out with their selections and finding them the perfect house plant or gift. But he also appreciated the quiet, the lull that would envelop the store outside of the late afternoon and early evening rush. The soft light from the window pouring in on a sunny day accompanying the dimmed fluorescence within the walls of the store, a medley of smells from the variety of plants, all combining into a floral scent with a multitude of notes, the most prominent being the almost sickeningly sweet fragrance of flowers that had recently taken bloom and flourished.

There were worse ways to live out your days, careers that were bound to run you up the wall with stress and unnecessary hardship. And while it could get boring, and often times a struggle to get by, especially at the beginning, Eliott never got to the point where he hated it. From opening day until now, as the days became months and the months accumulated to eventually become years, he loved his job. He took pride in differentiating himself from the rest of the florists in the area, and his growing clientele base was well earned proof of it.

Although, the newfound business came at a price. Whereas he had time to goof off with Idriss and Sofiane during the less busy hours of operations before, now, even if the store was devoid of customers, he had a backorder of purchases to tend to and no room for distraction. However, as occupied as he was, he'd wouldn't turn down Sofiane. And for some reason, even if he did, he had a soft spot for Imane and wouldn't deny her the apology she probably deserved and then some.

Flowers in tow, Eliott snags a vase from one of the shelves behind him and places them inside, methodically gathering the other materials he would need to package them together. When he's satisfied with the arrangement, he extracts the cellophane roll from the drawer underneath the counter, cutting a piece to size, laying the flowers atop and securing the bouquet temporarily in his hand. Juggling the makeshift bouquet, he expertly reaches for a piece of golden ribbon he had the foresight to cut into appropriate lengths beforehand. Though, he could tell that the tails of the resulting bow would be too long, grabbing a pair of scissors to adjust the ends as he goes.

"Hi!"

A voice chimes, along with the bell attached at the door signalling a customer's entry, while Eliott's still looking down at the cellophane wrapped tulips, ribbon clenched between his teeth and scissors in hand. It's definitely not Sofiane, but the cadence of the sound rings with familiarity, one that he recognizes briefly but can't associate with the person until he looks up. So he does.

And the tulips proceed to nearly tumble out of their bundle onto the counter.

What he does allow to drop is the ribbon, half because he can feel his jaw slack and half because he very well can't have a decent conversation with the obstruction in his mouth. Eliott feels his heart swell, right before it calms down immediately, as if splashed back to its senses with a blast of ice water.

Because the beautiful boy, no, man, in front of him was the same guy who walked into the store a week ago and effectively took his breath away. The nervous stammering, his bashful glances and determined flirting, Yann stunned him at every turn in their conversation. The same guy who also happened to be happily engaged. Just his luck.

"Back so soon?" he calls out, placing the flowers on the counter and leaning with his palms against the surface. _Control yourself_ , Eliott chastises himself, _Or at least try not to make it_ that _obvious_.

"Uh, yeah actually," he replies, proceeding almost shyly as we made his way to where Eliott stood, "I wanted to see you."

Damn it.

"I'm glad you came." Eliott says, surprised at how true the words actually were. Despite Yann's relationship status and Eliott's morals, he couldn't deny his growing attraction towards the other man. He was truly happy to see him, and he could feel the telltale smile forming on the corners of his lips as he gazed at Yann who reflected it back with his own.

"Me too."

 _Shit_ , Eliott swore internally. He was literally hopeless.

"So-"

"Did you-

They both laugh, flustered.

"You first." Eliott offers, waiting for the man to speak. Yann stares at his shoes, hands shoved in his pockets as he rubs an imaginary spot on the floor with one of his feet.

"I was wondering if you would want to go out for coffee," he starts, "The cafe next door actually, if you can take a break for a bit?"

Boundaries. They were a thing, and it was time to put them to work. It was better this way, nipping the hopeless crush at its bud before it had the chance to blossom.

"It's kind of in the middle of the work day-"

"Ah right, I-" Yann speaks up, "I'm sorry I didn't even think about that," he says apologetically. "It's just that I was in the area and thought it might be worth a shot, what with my thesis halfway done, but clearly I didn't think far ahead enough to realize you were probably busy, I ju-"

"Hey," Eliott intercepts, cutting off his rambling, "Hey, it's fine. Don't worry-"

"Eliott!"

The door sounds again, with the entrance of another person in the store. This time, it's someone he knows and loves, even if in this moment Eliott wishes he would just fuck off.

"Sofiane," Eliott starts, trying to disguise the irritation in his tone, "You're here."

"Yeah," his friend says, strolling in and approaching the duo, "Sorry for running a little late." Sofiane, who seems to register the presence of another person only now, waves in acknowledgment of Yann, looking at Eliott questioningly.

"Yann, this is Sofiane a good friend of mine," Eliott indicates gesturing between the two, "Sofiane, Yann."

Yann flusters suddenly, looking like he wants to say something before opts to purse his lips shut and extends a hand out towards Sofiane tentatively.

The pair swap introductions, both pausing as they assess one another before their attention is diverted back to Eliott.

"Sorry again, for the last minute request." Sofiane apologizes, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

"It's fine," Eliott says, brushing him off and waving away the money Sofiane attempts to pass over, "I did it for Imane, not for you."

"Sure man, whatever works at the end of the day." Sofiane throws back with a wink, opting to stuff the bank notes in the otherwise deserted tip jar near the register. Rolling his eyes, Eliott places the final tie on the bouquet he was in the midst of preparing before handing off the finished product to his friend.

"There," Eliott declares, "One tangible apology, in red, white and yellow, as requested."

"You're the best and I owe you my life." Sofiane states solemnly, causing Eliott to snort, stifling the laugh threatening to spill out.

He expects, wants even, for Sofiane to leave so he can resume the thinly veiled flirting and competition of heated gazes with Yann, but his friend, God bless his soul, clearly couldn't take a hint.

"So Yann," Sofiane asks, leaning against the counter casually as he appraises the other man, "What brings you here in the middle of the day? Lover's quarrel in need of resolving?" he asks sympathetically. Yann lets out an awkward laugh, glancing at Eliott as he answers.

"Ah, no, nothing like that," he responds, "I actually had some free time from work so I thought I'd ask Eliott to coffee, just neglected to consider his schedule in the process."

Eliott can see the moment it clicks in his friend's head, as he casts furtive glances between the two. When it finally registers, he could've sworn he saw the light bulb switch on over Sofiane's head.

"I can take care of the store for a bit?" Sofiane offers, silently asking Eliott with his eyes if that's what he wanted.

Was it what he wanted? Something must have indicated an affirmative on his behalf, because next thing he knows, Sofiane is hopping over the counter, landing beside him, much to Eliott's protests of the former making a mess and being extra when he could have just walked the short distance around instead.

"Go ahead." Sofiane prods encouragingly, prying the apron off Eliott's body and tying it on around his own, pushing the florist in front of the counter and next to an overwhelmed looking Yann.

"You sure?" Eliott questions him unsure. He trusted Sofiane with a lot of things, but responsibility was one he still had reservations about.

"Yeah," Sofiane says easily, "How hard could it be?"

"Famous last words," Eliott returns warningly, removing his apron and tossing it over in Sofiane's direction, "I'll be back soon. Thanks."

 

Eliott leads the way to the small coffee shop next door, the one with really good mille feuille and tea cakes that he would snack on when he was craving something sweet, or pick up when he went to visit his parents after work. The owner, a delightful, albeit nosy, woman in her 50s who had Eliott's order memorized was working the register, smiling in his direction when the pair walked in. She raises her eyebrows upon seeing Yann walking beside him. Last time Eliott was in here with someone was during a teary break up that the lady hadn't allowed him to forget. Eliott gave her a look, mouthing a silent 'cut it out' before neutralizing his expression so that the man with him wouldn't notice. Thankfully, she takes the hint, addressing them professionally save for the wink she gives Eliott when Yann isn't looking as the two seat themselves at a table near one of the large windows.

"How have you been?" Eliott inquires, after an awkward beat of silence.

"Good!" Yann responds enthusiastically, coughing and resuming in a deeper voice, "Good. Like I said, thesis is nearly all the way done, the classes I'm teaching are on break before final exams, so I'm kind of just taking things as they come."

"Always nice." Eliott supplements, sipping on the whipped cream floating on his café viennois, wary of his tongue making contact with hot liquid, effectively embarrassing him in the process.

"What about you?"

"It's getting busier, business I mean," Eliott explains, "With the weather getting nicer and inventory becoming more accessible."

"So I could tell." Yann responds teasingly, referencing the lack of patrons in store.

"Ever heard of something called downtime?" Eliott throws back, attempting to conceal the chuckle he desperately wanted to let out.

"I'm joking."

"I know."

"Are you seeing anyone?" Yann asks coolly, right when Eliott raises the cup to his mouth again, causing the latter to splutter. 

"Okay," Eliott manages to get out, wiping the edge of his lips with a quick swipe of his thumb, "You go straight for the personal questions it seems."

"Sorry, that was thoughtless of me I-"

"Joke." Eliott interrupts cheekily, even as his heart pounds at the tinge of yearning that surfaces on Yann's face at his admission.

"Haha." he mutters sarcastically, stabbing the fruit topping the tart in they bought to split between them.

"Anyway," Eliott continues, admitting, "To answer your question, no, I'm not seeing anyone at the moment. Not for awhile actually."

"No girls catch your eye?"

"Nope," Eliott shares matter-of-factually, pausing before throwing in, "No guys for that matter either." 

It's Yann's turn to almost choke on his coffee, gazing across the table at Eliott with something he can only liken to a twinkle in the former's eye. 

"I see," Yann offers after recovering, contemplating his next words carefully before blurting them out confidently, lest he back out last minute, "Lucky me then."

 _That's it,_ Eliott thinks, unable to handle the earnestness radiating in waves off the man across from him. Time to rip off the band aid before this went to the point of no return.

"Hey, Yann," he starts. Yann tries to cut in, but Eliott needs to get this out before he changes his mind, "No please, let me finish."

For a second, the man looks like he's about to argue. Eventually, he relents, swirling the straw in his iced coffee so that the cubes clinked against the glass cup.

"Okay." he agrees. Eliott inhales sharply, taking a sip of the now cooled down coffee to collect himself before he proceeded.

"When I saw you walk into the shop that day," Eliott starts, "I was honestly floored. It was like, who is this guy and why is this the first time I'm seeing him? If I wasn't on the job I would've asked for your number right there and then. Trust me when I say I that is not something I do with every attractive customer that walks through the doors, especially not ones who are so obviously taken. And you are, by the way, attractive. In fact possibly the most attractive guy, person for that matter, that I've ever seen in real life, forget the store, and I know I'm rambling now, and I'm sorry, but-"

"Why didn't you?" Yann intervenes, "Ask for my number."

"Because!" Eliott cries out in frustration, "You're clearly taken, and I am not interested in being someone's side piece."

"Eliott-"

"You said you would let me finish!"

Yann quiets down at that, fingers tightening their grip around his cup.

"Well?" he says, arching an eyebrow at Eliott when he doesn't continue. After the initial bout of exasperation subsides, Eliott realizes that he was done saying his piece. Rubbing the back of his neck, he glances around the cafe, too embarrassed to make eye contact with the bemused man in front of him.

"That's it, I guess." he admits sheepishly, choosing to look at the dredges accumulated at the bottom of his cup, prodding and poking with his stirring spoon instead of facing Yann's gaxe head on.

"Eliott."

He looks up, staring into the bluest eyes he's ever seen, ones that he could definitely, would definitely, get lost in if he wasn't careful.

"What?"

"Would you be my date to Yann's engagement party next week?"

_What the fuck._

"Wait," Eliott says, thoroughly confused, "What are you talking about?"

"If you gave me the opportunity to explain, I might have asked you sooner." the other man lets out a sigh.

"I'm not Yann," not-Yann admits, "He would be the guy who picked me up last week, the one who's utterly in love with Chloe." he clarifies further.

 _Say something you dumbass_ , Eliott berates himself, _anything is better than gaping at him like an idiot_.

"Uh." Shit. _Maybe not anything_.

"Nice to meet you," the man opposite him states, "I'm Lucas." he finishes, proffering his hand across the table, trying to suppress a grin at Eliott's expense.

"Lucas." Eliott repeats, blinking repeatedly as he takes the other man's, Lucas's, hand, not quite believing that this was actually happening.

"Sorry for not telling you before." Lucas apologizes, retracting his hand and grasping the cup in front of him, the whites of his knuckles prominent. 

"Why didn't you?" Eliott demands, confusion bordering on anger, mostly at himself, but also at Lucas for not correcting him when he had multiple opportunities already.

"Would you believe me if I said it was fun watching you squirm?"

Eliott huffs, flicking the paper that contained the plastic straw Lucas used for his drink at him. "Thanks for that."

"Truly Eliott, I am sorry," Lucas says laughing, dodging the lighthearted attack, "But I'm not sorry for meeting you, regardless of the rocky start."

"Well," Eliott says, attempting to sip nonchalantly on his beverage, "Neither am I."

And all attempts to appear blase go out the window when Lucas smiles at him, teeth and all, uninhibited, no reservations.

"Good." 

 

They finish their drinks and the tart, Eliott stepping outside the cafe much more relaxed than he was walking in. The journey back to Eliott's shop is mere steps, but he finds himself lagging behind.

"Lucas," he calls out, prompting Lucas to turn around and look at him questioningly, "Wasn't Yann's engagement party last week?"

"Yeah," Lucas responds mischievously, "I thought I'd be a little more dramatic when it came to the big reveal."

"Wow," Eliott says in disbelief, "You're going to be a handful to deal with aren't you?"

Lucas simply shrugs back, grinning. 

Eliott catches up with the other man, placing a hand on his shoulder before leaning down slightly to whisper a quiet 'Worth it' in his ear, leaving a blushing Lucas in his wake. Eliott holds the door to the store open for him, both walking back inside side by side, hands brushing against one another. It was too soon for Eliott to grab Lucas's and never let go right?

"You're back!" Sofiane pipes up from behind the counter, removing Eliott's apron and walking over towards the duo, "See? All in one piece."

"I'm impressed."

"At least try to sound more genuine about it," Sofiane mumbles, shoving the apron into Eliott's arms, rushing out the door apology bouquet in hand, "I'm out, Imane's waiting for me back at her dorm. Thanks again man, I owe you one. It was nice meeting you Yann!" exclaiming as he runs out.  

"No correction?"

"He'll figure it out eventually," Lucas waves him off, "I plan on sticking around."

"Do you?" Eliott teases.

"Yeah," Lucas says seriously, "If that's fine with you." he amends.

"It is," Eliott replies, automatically, without thinking twice, "Of course it is."

A pause. The air is electric, buzzing unlike it had been previously, when things were still up in the air, said within the confines of both their minds versus aloud. With everything out in the open, there was the inevitable promise of something more, something Eliott finally let himself hope for. 

"I guess this is where we say goodbye." Lucas says regretfully, eyeing his watch, effectively cutting off Eliott's chain of thought. 

"So no date then?" Eliott jokes. This time it was Lucas's turn to be at a loss for words.

"Huh?"

"I seem to recall being asked out on a fake date for 'dramatic effect'." 

"Oh," Lucas says, realization dawning. Smiling shyly, he peers up at Eliott, cautiously searching for any residual doubt or apprehension. And then,

"Eliott," Lucas starts, "Do you want to come over to my place? Drinks, joints, you can pick the music?"

Eliott wants to leave Lucas wondering, just for a bit. His own form of payback for Lucas not correcting his monumental misunderstanding as soon as he made it. But seeing the slightly nervous, shifting on his heels Lucas, staring at Eliott with a newfound courage in his eyes, all thoughts of petty revenge left him completely, replaced with the pressing need to say,

"I'd love to."

Sparing one last glance before Lucas really does have to leave and Eliott really needs to get back to work, Eliott walks him to the store front, catching a glimpse of the daffodil display on the pathway out, vividly golden and bright against its neighbouring flora. 

 _A fresh start_ , _a rebirth of sorts_ , Eliott remembers the meaning behind the flowers, one he recalled from hours of painstaking research behind what each plant he housed in store represented. 

"Here." Eliott stops Lucas as he reaches for the door handle, plucking a singular daffodil from the bunch and placing it in the other's hand.

"A daffodil, huh?" Lucas murmurs, twirling the flower stem between his fingers, "Did you know they symbolize new beginnings?"

His heart swells. And this time, unlike the first, Eliott allows it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am mad at sofiane, and my girl deserves better, but they were hella cute in the beginning and the end's not here yet so in this universe they are together lol
> 
> hope this was a light read. i'm finishing up the last chapter of PH right now and needed a break so this was nice to switch gears with haha
> 
> P.s. consider this au hc: lucas goes home after meeting eliott in ch 1 and researches everything botany, including what a bunch of popular flowers symbolize so he can impress him. Just a thought 😂


End file.
